Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
Join free Log in
Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.
Fender California Series Precision?
- Thread starter theroan
- Start date
Man, I'd love to see a picture of your Shoreline Gold! That must be a refinish, as the California series only came in black, vintage white, red and two tone burst.
I'm the second owner and I kind of know the guy that owned it before me. He never had it refinished...it's the original color. I had heard it was a rare color from a Fender rep but never really thought too much about it.
I'll see what I can do for pix in the next day or two.
I'll see what I can do for pix in the next day or two.
I have to agree, white on gold is better than anodized on gold.
I THINK I disagree, but I'm not sure.
I think both choices would look good. I do love me some Shoreline Gold! My Classic '50s P is Honey Blonde, and I think it looks great with the anodized gold guard. Yes, I know that Honey Blonde and Shoreline Gold are totally different. But it's kind of the same principle in that the gold guard is somewhat close to the color of the bass. I'll bet it would look good on the S.G. (Of course tort would look even better!) 
Here's my Honey Blonde/gold:
My California P is vintage white and originally came with the anodized gold guard. It looked similar to Jeff K's photo. The problem: it looked spectacular close up, but from a distance (i.e. audience perspective) the guard just blended in with the paint. For this reason, I had Pickguardian make a tort replacement (see avatar).
Hopefully it works...
some are a little blurry and I think the green foliage makes it look greener than it really is, but it gives you an idea of what it looks like...I'm open to suggestions for a pick guard for this bass...
some are a little blurry and I think the green foliage makes it look greener than it really is, but it gives you an idea of what it looks like...I'm open to suggestions for a pick guard for this bass...
Yeah, I know what you're saying. But then again, I remember seeing Willie Weeks playing one of his old P-Basses at one of Clapton's guitar festivals. Looked a lot like mine, but I could see a clear delineation of the wood and the pickguard. I thought it looked good even from a distance. Of course it WAS Willie Weeks. I'd have probably thought anything he was playing looked cool...
That's sweet, a one-off? I'd leave the white pickguard - looks great with that color.
I agree with you guys too. The white pickguard looks fantastic.
Which color pickguard do you guys this works with my bass's 2 tone burst?
White or anodized?
I'm starting to think it came with a white pickguard.
Here is a pic of my bass with a Fender bridge.
Which color pickguard do you guys this works with my bass's 2 tone burst?
White or anodized?
I'm starting to think it came with a white pickguard.
Here is a pic of my bass with a Fender bridge.
This is totally idiosyncratic---but I like black, tort, or anodized more than white on a sunburst instrument.
Great choice! Sunburst w/rosewood, tort is the only choice!
I've got a vintage white/maple, just like kramerj, that still has the gold ano. I like it a lot, but I'm considering a w/b/w pickguard.
kramerj, any additional hum result from switching from aluminum to plastic?
I've got a vintage white/maple, just like kramerj, that still has the gold ano. I like it a lot, but I'm considering a w/b/w pickguard.
kramerj, any additional hum result from switching from aluminum to plastic?
I swapped the j-pickup with a DiMarzio Ultra-Jazz (humbucker) around the same time, so the hum actually went away---this makes it hard to address your question.
In response to earlier posts mentioning a poly finish: I've heard these have a nitro finish. U.S. environmental regs had prohibited the spraying of nitro shortly prior the manufacture of California Series basses. That was supposedly the reason the parts were shipped to Mexico for finishing.
Got an email today after having already traded away my California series P. Here's the email from a concerned Craigslist reader.
"No offense, but this is NOT a MIA fender.
it is a deluxe model Made in Mexico. (the dead giveaway is not being string-thru) please know that anyone even remotely interested in this bass would know that. Also these basses when made in USA come with a SKB hard shell case, only the MIM ones come with that soft side thing. The pickguard was just swapped out for a black one, as the gold ones are very gaudy. With the mismatched tuner, and even counting the other bridge you spoke of that devalues it further. I don't think most would pay over $300 for this guitar, and likely some offers below that. it sounds like you traded for it recently, and I just wanted you to know what you have.
Good Luck in your sale!"
I feel like the guy is calling me dishonest and I don't appreciate that, but on the other hand he does seem concerned about others getting ripped off and I do appreciate that.
"No offense, but this is NOT a MIA fender.
it is a deluxe model Made in Mexico. (the dead giveaway is not being string-thru) please know that anyone even remotely interested in this bass would know that. Also these basses when made in USA come with a SKB hard shell case, only the MIM ones come with that soft side thing. The pickguard was just swapped out for a black one, as the gold ones are very gaudy. With the mismatched tuner, and even counting the other bridge you spoke of that devalues it further. I don't think most would pay over $300 for this guitar, and likely some offers below that. it sounds like you traded for it recently, and I just wanted you to know what you have.
Good Luck in your sale!"
I feel like the guy is calling me dishonest and I don't appreciate that, but on the other hand he does seem concerned about others getting ripped off and I do appreciate that.
sounds like he's coming from the fairytale land of assumptions, rather than the concrete world of facts. Sure, these are basically the same as the later MIM deluxe precisions, and the reason they stopped calling them MIA was over where these puppies got their finish, but he has no idea what he's talking about. anyone with an internet connection can do some research on these things and verify that they are in fact "Made in America". you might email him back and simply point out that you appreciate his concern, and give him some history on the California Series.
